Explorer 1
Explorer 1
This past Friday three of us took on the John Bull Trail near Big Bear California. We wanted to get this trip in before the snow closed the trail. The John Bull Trail is considered one of the toughest trails in the Big Bear area. To add some fun and challenge when we arrive we found about 1 foot of fresh snow has covered the trail. This was going to be fun!
I was in my modified Cherokee; Jeff took his newly modified Tacoma and Jason in his near stock Jeep Wrangler YJ. Jason's YJ has been put through the paces and is showing it's age, besides being his daily driver he take it on most of our off-road trips.
Once we turned off the pavement and had traveled a few miles we decided to air down. I was helping Jason when I noticed something didn’t look right on his front suspension where his upper shackle mount was supposed to be secured to the frame.
When I went to the other side to see how it should be I found that it too had the same problem. The top part had broken off and now the shackle was being held in place by the front bumper. All it would take is one flex of the suspension and the leaf would break free of the bumper and he would have no front suspension! :Wow1:
We really didn’t want Jason to have to turn around at this point. This past summer we had tried the John Bull only to be turned around by the crowded trail conditions. With more snow in the forecast for next week we knew that this would be our last chance this season. So after some consultation and “borrowing” of a few clamps, some wire from a nearby fence and one nylon strap we made a trail repair that from my point of view had little or no chance of working.
Off we went and at every rock garden that caused some articulation we could hear the metal scrap and squeak as his front shackles rubbed against the bumper.
To my amazement he not only made it through the trail but all the way home with the “fix”.
Here he is on the final rock garden on the trail and the fix is still holding!
My hat is off to Jeff and Chuck for their repair and Jason who held it together the whole trip!
Thanks,
Fred
Explorer 1
I was in my modified Cherokee; Jeff took his newly modified Tacoma and Jason in his near stock Jeep Wrangler YJ. Jason's YJ has been put through the paces and is showing it's age, besides being his daily driver he take it on most of our off-road trips.
Once we turned off the pavement and had traveled a few miles we decided to air down. I was helping Jason when I noticed something didn’t look right on his front suspension where his upper shackle mount was supposed to be secured to the frame.
When I went to the other side to see how it should be I found that it too had the same problem. The top part had broken off and now the shackle was being held in place by the front bumper. All it would take is one flex of the suspension and the leaf would break free of the bumper and he would have no front suspension! :Wow1:
We really didn’t want Jason to have to turn around at this point. This past summer we had tried the John Bull only to be turned around by the crowded trail conditions. With more snow in the forecast for next week we knew that this would be our last chance this season. So after some consultation and “borrowing” of a few clamps, some wire from a nearby fence and one nylon strap we made a trail repair that from my point of view had little or no chance of working.
Off we went and at every rock garden that caused some articulation we could hear the metal scrap and squeak as his front shackles rubbed against the bumper.
To my amazement he not only made it through the trail but all the way home with the “fix”.
Here he is on the final rock garden on the trail and the fix is still holding!
My hat is off to Jeff and Chuck for their repair and Jason who held it together the whole trip!
Thanks,
Fred
Explorer 1
